Pelargonium plant named ‘Pacchopinim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacchopinim’, characterized by its upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; medium green-colored leaves with a predominant dark brown-colored zonal pattern; early and freely flowering habit; and purplish pink-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium x hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PACCHOPINIM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium x hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pacchopinim’.

The new Zonal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new uniform and early-flowering ZonalGeranium plants with dark-colored leaves and numerous attractiveflowers.

The new Zonal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Pelargonium xhortorum, not patented, during the summer of 2016. Seed was collectedfrom a number of potential parent plants, combined and sown. The newZonal Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated masscross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany during the summer of 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Zonal Geranium plant by vegetativeterminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany since January, 2018 has shown that the unique features of thisnew Zonal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Pacchopinim’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Pacchopinim’ as a new and distinct ZonalGeranium plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Medium green-colored leaves with a predominant dark        brown-colored zonal pattern.    -   5. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   6. Purplish pink-colored semi-double flowers that are held above        the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of thePelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchopin’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ from plants of‘Pacchopin’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Zonal Geranium have a        darker-colored zone than leaves of as plants of ‘Pacchopin’.    -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have semi-double flowers        whereas plants of ‘Pacchopin’ have single flowers.    -   3. Flower petals of plants of the new Zonal Geranium are        slightly lighter purplish pink in color than flower petals of        plants of ‘Pacchopin’.    -   4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have shorter peduncles than        plants of ‘Pacchopin’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Zonal Geranium plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Zonal Geranium plant. The photograph is a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pacchopinim’ grown ina container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the spring,summer and autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse in Thiendorf, Germanyand under cultural practices typical of commercial Zonal Geraniumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levelsranged from 15 klux to 100 klux. Plants were four months old when thephotograph was taken and six months old when the detailed descriptionwas taken. In the following detailed description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchopinim’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection of            Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate            temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly rounded plant            habit; inverted triangle; densely foliated; vigorous growth            habit; rapid growth rate; freely basal branching habit with            about four primary lateral branches each with about two            secondary lateral branches developing per plant; pinching is            typically not required.        -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of floral plane.—About 26 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 35 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.            Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture            and luster: Moderately pubescent; semi-glossy. Color,            developing and developed: Close to 146C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite and alternate; simple.        -   Length.—About 4.7 cm.        -   Width.—About 7.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Rounded; roughly reniform.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate, open.        -   Margin.—Bi-crenate with shallow and divergent indentations.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent,            coriaceous; matte.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Towards the margins, close to 137A, dominated with a large            zonal pattern, close to 200A; venation, close to 200A.            Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 144A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;            rough; matte. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Semi-double flowers            arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels arising from apical            leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane on            strong peduncles; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly            depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit            with about 15 open flowers per umbel and numerous umbels            developing per plant during the flowering season.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants begin            flowering about 75 days after planting; in the garden in            Germany, flowering begins in April and continues until frost            in the autumn.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six to ten days on the            plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant;            flowers persistent.        -   Umbel height.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4.3 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.3 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Round to elliptic. Texture and luster: Pubescent;            matte. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About six; petals slightly            imbricate. Length, upper and lower petals: About 2.6 cm.            Width, upper petals: About 2.5 cm. Width, lower petals:            About 2.8 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cuneate.            Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and luster, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: When            opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 68B;            venation, close to 68A; color does not change with            subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 65A; venation, close to 65A; color            becoming closer to 65D with subsequent development.        -   Petaloids.—To date, petaloid development has not been            observed on plants of the new Pelargonium.        -   Sepals.—Calyx length: About 1 cm. Calyx diameter: About            1.2 cm. Quantity per flower: Five arranged in a single            whorl; not fused. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm to            3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color, when developing,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B. Color, fully            developed, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.        -   Peduncles (umbel stems).—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly upright to            slightly outwardly. Texture and luster: Pubescent, rough;            semi-glossy. Color: Close to 165A.        -   Pedicels (individual flower stems).—Length: About 3 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.            Texture and luster: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to            165A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About ten. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color:            Close to 155D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther            shape: Tubular. Anther color: Close to 58A. Pollen amount:            Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 168A. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma            diameter: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Five or six-parted.            Stigma color: Close to 53C. Style length: About 2 mm. Style            color: Close to 37A. Ovary color: Close to 193A. Seeds and            fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Zonal Geranium.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Zonal    Geranium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and    pests common to Zonal Geranium plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0.5° C. to    about 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named‘Pacchopinim’ as illustrated and described.